Nadesico's Daughter
by Kit Spooner
Summary: Sakura's power is too much for an eleven-year-old to handle. To protect herself and her loved ones, Sakura seals away her powers and memories. Five years later, the seals begin to weaken . . . [incomplete]
1. Part One

**Nadesico's Daughter:**

**.:Part One:.**   
  


**A Card-Captor Sakura Fanfiction by Kit Spooner**   
  


All characters portrayed here are the property of CLAMP, Kodansha, a bunch of other Japanese media companies, and a certain Canadian dubbing company that will heretofore go unnamed. I don't claim to own these characters, but the situations I put them in belong to me. I would rather this wasn't posted anywhere without my permission, so email me with questions. Don't steal. I bite.   
  


Author's Pre-Notes: For everyone's information, this fic falls under the 'Alternate Universe' category. Basically, I'd love to have my story fit into the glorious CCS canon, but I haven't seen/read enough of the later episodes/issues to be able to confidently write about it. My story begins (in flash-back form) a little while after Sakura has finished capturing all the cards and has already faced Yue. The action in this story (aside from flash-backs) takes place about five years later. I think. So, uh, if you don't want to be spoiled for the first half of the Card Captor Sakura story (the whole Clow Cards story arc), then you probably shouldn't read this. Then again, I don't go into too much detail. There are a few events which I borrowed (in some form) from the Sakura Cards arc (mostly Touya/Yukito/Yue stuff), and you'll probably notice them when they come. If I get details wrong or something, feel free to blast me for it. I'm just an ignorant fan. Okay, 'nuff chit chat.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
Li Syaoran was indulging in what could only be called his favorite pastime: watching Kinomoto Sakura. It looked like the girl was as bored with the teacher's lecture as he was, since her expression was one of bland disinterest and she was idly winding one lock of her auburn hair around her index finger. Despite the fact that her brilliant green eyes were slightly glazed, and there was a reddened portion of flesh on the side of her face betraying the fact that she'd been napping on her desk but a minute ago, Syaoran was reminded how lovely she was, in all her mundane glory. For mundane she truly was, now that she had no more magical power than the average seventeen-year-old. 

As had become habit for the boy, Li Syaoran reached out with a faint tendril of his own magic, gently probing at the edges of Sakura's mind, testing for the surge of almost-electricity that would signal the return of her powers . . . and her memories. It was with both relief and inexorable sadness that Syaoran confirmed that Sakura was still ordinary, and had no recollection of her time as a Card Captor. She didn't even remember _him_. Oh, she certainly knew who Li Syaoran was, since despite his rather taciturn nature, Li-kun was fairly popular, particularly with the female population of the high school, but Sakura didn't remember _being_ with him, didn't remember how he'd saved her those many times, how she'd saved his life just as frequently, how she'd saved it that one, final time, during that pivotal moment. 

Syaoran's eyes squeezed shut. _No, _he thought fiercely, trying to turn his mind away from painful memories and back to the more pleasant task of memorizing Sakura's features._ Don't think about it. It's over, you've just got to wait. That's what they told you so many years ago. All it will take is time._ And Syaoran _had_ waited, waited an eternity. Perhaps not an eternity, but those five long years had felt like one. He wondered for the thousandth time what she would say to him once she regained her memories, once she suddenly remembered the boy who'd loved her so very much. Would she remember the things she'd told him that night? Or would she simply dismiss it as the dreamings of a child? Indeed, they _had_ been children. But no longer. He was seventeen, and so was she. Hadn't it been long enough yet? 

_I should have forced Yue to give me an approximate date_, fumed Syaoran, his features darkening at the thought. _And now he's beyond my grasp and there's no one around who could tell me. Not Yukito, the poor man. Not Tomoyo, for all her attentiveness. Not even Touya, had I the courage to ask him._ Li Syaoran was stuck, to put it simply. He could not go back, and he could not move forward. He could only wait . . . and remember. The memories struck at the most inopportune times, and that terrifying night slid back before his idle eyes more frequently than he would have preferred.   
  


* * *

  
He remembered the cold, and the heat, and how it was difficult to differentiate between the two. It had been dark, but the dark held pain, so Syaoran had struggled back to consciousness in time to see Sakura blast the creature. Sakura's control over the Clow Cards had increased to the point where she could call two at the same time, and she took advantage of this skill now to wield her flaming rapier. The Sword worked in tandem with the Fiery, giving form to the hungry flames, and together they struck out at the oozing darkness, evil given form, that Sakura fought. Sakura's fury fanned the flames hotter and the creature screamed, a high, lost sound that hurt Syaoran's ears and made him flinch away from the battle. 

The faint movement was enough to remind him of his wounds. He'd managed to slow the bleeding from the slash down his leg by tying a length of cloth ripped from his robe around his thigh, but each breath pained him and he suspected that he'd broken at least a couple of ribs during his earlier attacks on the creature. Syaoran steadfastly refused to acknowledge the pain that radiated from his spine and burned with frost. He didn't blame Sakura, he could never blame her, not _her_ . . . 

Yet it had been _her_ blast that had struck him full in the back, that had sent him flying fifteen feet until he slammed into a tree and was knocked unconscious. Sakura's blast of ice had gone awry and had found Syaoran instead of the monster they'd been fighting. Syaoran's wandering thoughts suddenly focused and he wondered where Yue and Kerberos were. They should have been here to protect their mistress from creatures that would devour her and her power. 

Sakura's furious scream jolted him from his daze and he jerked his head around in time to see her release an enormous sphere of pure, raw energy from her out-flung palms. The scintillating, crackling ball slammed into her opponent and the monster vaporized instantly, dissolving into nothing in the blink of an eye. All that remained was a small area of ground where the grass was singed brown. Despite the weariness that suddenly pressed down upon Sakura, she staggered back over to the tree where Syaoran was sprawled. As she approached, he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks, could see the horror in her eyes. He realized that he must look pretty bad for her to look at him like that. 

"It's not as bad as it looks, Sakura," he finally said, forcing his mouth to curve into a smile, ignoring the pain of his split lip. 

"Oh, Syaoran," she whispered, kneeling before him. "I'm so sorry." Her words were halting, as though she were having difficulty speaking at all. Tears still trickled down her cheeks and Syaoran raised one hand to brush away the tears with his thumb. He drew back uncertainly as the passage of his thumb across her cheek left behind a faint streak of fresh blood, probably from his leg. Sakura didn't seem to notice. 

Kerberos burst into the clearing and skidded to a halt beside Sakura and Syaoran. "Are you two alright?!" he asked frantically, his eyes taking in the blood that surrounded the two children. 

Yue appeared behind Kerberos and came to a more controlled rest next to the group. "They're both alive, Kerberos," he said in his oddly resonant voice, "Even if they're not 'alright'." He reached out to touch Syaoran's forehead, ascertaining in the single contact that while the boy was not in danger of his life anymore, it would certainly be a long time before he was perfectly healthy. 

"It's all my fault," Sakura suddenly said, her voice unusually subdued. "I . . . I had the power to defeat it, but not the ability. What happens the next time I'm attacked? What if I hurt someone again, like Li-kun. What if I even . . ." She turned to Yue and told him, quite seriously, "Take away the power. I don't want it." 

"It doesn't work that way, Mistress," Yue responded, glancing over at Kerberos for support. 

Kerberos nodded and added gently. "It's not a power to be bestowed or taken away. You were born with it. It's a gift from Clow given to you through your father." 

"It's not a gift!" cried Sakura, her tears flowing anew. "I almost _killed _Syaoran! That makes this a curse, doesn't it? I don't want it if I can't control it!" 

Yue and Kerberos exchanged a long look before Yue added a quiet, slightly reproachful, "I told you she was too young." 

Kerberos nodded. "I guess you were right, but it's hard to put the genie back in the bottle now. Once someone's powers are manifested, you can't just un-manifest them again." 

Silence fell upon the little clearing, broken only by the irreverent song of a few brave crickets. Sakura gazed at Syaoran, and rested her hand against his cheek; he reveled in the softness of her skin against his. She appeared to be thinking very hard, and Syaoran nibbled nervously on his lower lip as he tried to figure out what was going through her mind. Was she really so upset that she'd accidentally hit him? Syaoran hadn't known she'd be so torn up about it. What did it all mean? And why was she still touching his face? A blush slowly rose up to tint the Chinese boy's scuffed face. 

Sakura suddenly looked back up at Yue, who had been watching her intently. "You may not be able to take away the power, but there _is_ something you can do, isn't there?" Her gaze was piercing and it wasn't long before Yue broke down and slowly nodded his head. 

"Yes, there is something, Sakura," he replied, his words slow and carefully chosen. "We cannot remove something that you were born with. It would be like trying to remove a portion of your personality." Sakura's expression fell, and her eyes shimmered suspiciously. Yue began to speak faster, in hopes of staving off another wave of tears. "But while we can't necessarily _remove_ your power, we can _seal_ it away for a while. We can keep it safely inactive until you're old enough to begin learning how to control it." 

Sakura immediately brightened and clasped her hands under her chin. "Really?" she said brightly, blinking away the impending tears. "That sounds like the perfect solution!" Then her gaze darted from Yue to Kerberos and back, her smile faltered slightly. "What's wrong? There's something you two aren't telling me." 

Kerberos sighed and ruffled his great wings. "You're getting to perceptive for your own good, Sakura-chan," he said reproachfully. "But you should know the repercussions of sealing away your powers. To begin with, the energy flows which you are barely able to control are part of you, and it is impossible for you _not_ to manipulate them. The skill is too much a part of who you are. To seal away power, we must also seal away a part of your memories. In this case, knowledge is power, and it's a power you cannot hope to control yet." He looked towards Yue, who nodded again. 

"As long as you remember _being_ the Card Captor, we cannot protect you from your power," he summarized. "If we perform this sealing, then your life will change significantly." 

Sakura's eyes had grown wide. "I won't . . . remember?" Her voice faltered as she tried to process the information. Her hand automatically sought Syaoran's again and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I won't remember the two of you, Yue, Kerberos? I won't remember the fun I had with Tomoyo-chan when she made me Card Captor costumes? I won't remember . . . Syaoran?" 

Yue and Kerberos silently nodded in unison, having nothing left to say. 

Syaoran, who had been listening, dazed, pushed himself upright and pulled at Sakura's hand to get her attention. "Sakura, you don't need to do this. You didn't hurt me all that much and I'm sure you can learn to control the power. I don't want you to be hurt by this. I don't want you to . . . to forget . . ." 

His words trailed off as Sakura turned her gaze upon him. Her expression was enough to bring the boy close to tears himself. "I don't want to forget either, Li-kun. I don't want to forget any of this; I don't want to forget _you_." She reached out with her other hand to clasp his captive hand between both of hers. "But I don't want you to _die_. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I _really_ hurt someone. I've already hurt you, badly, and don't shake your head at me. I know you're hurt. What if it's Tomoyo-chan next time? Or what if you aren't strong enough to ward off the blast next time ?" She shook her head, sending her short hair swinging. Her expression grew determined and her eyes, stubborn. "I have to do this, Syaoran. Please understand." 

Syaoran continued to shake his head at Sakura, but his protests were even less cohesive than before. "But!" he began, raising his voice. "But I . . . I . . ." He paused to swallow against the sudden lump in his throat. "Sakura-san, I . . . I l-- . . . I lah-- . . . dammit, I _l-like_ you!" His face was beet red from the effort and he looked ready to explode. 

Sakura's brilliant green eyes widened and she looked stricken. "You . . . you do?" She squeezed his hand tight. "I didn't know, Li-kun. I had no idea . . ." She glanced over at Yue and Kerberos, who both had the grace to look a little sheepish. "Did you two know?" Both magical beings nodded and Sakura sighed. She looked back to Syaoran and smiled weakly. "Li-kun, you're my best friend, aside from Tomoyo-chan, and I don't ever want to lose you. It's why I have to go through with this. Don't you see?" She closed her eyes tightly to hold back another fall of tears. "I . . . think that I might . . . like . . . you too." 

The girl's face was scarlet by the time she managed to get the words out, the blush matched only by the one blazing across Syaoran's face, stretching from ear to ear. Syaoran was so utterly flabbergasted that he couldn't speak. His mouth moved jerkily, but no sound came out. As if realizing that any delay could cost Sakura her courage, she quickly leaned forward and brushed a feathery kiss across Syaoran's cheek, then pulled away and stood up, turning to face Yue and Kerberos, who were waiting patiently. 

"So when I do this sealing thing," she began slowly, her voice quavering ever so slightly, "I'll lose my memory, but no one else will, right? Both Tomoyo-chan and Li-kun will still remember?" 

Kerberos nodded briskly. "We can safely leave their memories alone. We'll probably need Li-kun to keep track of things, magically-speaking, while you're unable to." He spared a quick glance towards the Chinese boy in question, but he was still reclined against the tree, his hand pressed to his flushed cheek, his gaze unfocused. "And Tomoyo is certainly trustworthy enough." Kerberos eyed Sakura for a moment before asking, his tone and words formal "Are you ready, Mistress?" 

"Yes, Kerberos," she replied, her voice steady and clear. "I am ready to seal away the Clow Mistress until I am strong enough for her. Do it, Kero-chan," she added in a more conversational tone. 

There was no reply save for the flare of white light that erupted around Sakura's slight form, bathing the clearing with a harsh glow. Sakura threw her head back and sang out a series of utterly incomprehensible words, her tones liquid and foreign. Then she fell silent. 

_She kissed me!_ Syaoran's mind sang. _She likes me and she kissed me! Gee, this is great!_ The dance of silver light across Syaoran's face brought him slowly out of his daze. "Eh?" He blinked at the light and then picked out Sakura's slim shadow among the flashes. The expression on her face was one of deep sadness and she was slowly slumping to the ground. "Sakura!" shouted Syaoran as he staggered to his feet, ignoring his injuries, and leapt forward to catch Sakura before she crumpled to the ground. He ignored the coruscating lights, which began to fade even before he reached Sakura's side, and carefully lowered her to the ground. He brushed the auburn fringe back from her face and searched her covertly for signs of injury. She seemed fine aside from the fact that she was unconscious and barely breathing. 

Syaoran, still crouched over Sakura, a bit like a lion over a kill, glared up at Kerberos and Yue, both of whom were at their most inscrutable. "What the hell happened?!" he demanded, his voice breaking on the final syllable. 

"She agreed and we sealed," Yue replied simply. 

"I'm sorry, Li-kun," added Kerberos as he padded over towards Sakura and Syaoran. "I think she made the right decision." He sighed and nudged Sakura's pale face with his nose. "And she'll be back one day. You'll see. That's the way the shield works." 

"As for you, Li-kun," began Yue in a serious tone. "We need you to help us keep an eye on Sakura. My power will be severely curtailed while Sakura isn't aware enough to feed me power, and Kerberos will be somewhat limited as well, and we'll be busy monitoring the seal on Sakura's powers. No matter how well we seal them, how tightly they're kept, at least _some_ power will leak out, and this may cause problems. I'm not really sure what else to tell you, Li-kun, but we may well need your magical talents in the coming years." 

_Years_, thought Syaoran miserably. _So it's going to be _years_ before I get Sakura back._ His eyes inexorably sought out Sakura's face, which was beginning to regain some of the color it had lost. "Don't worry, I'll watch her," he told Yue and Kerberos in a quiet, firm voice. "I promise."   
  


* * *

  
Movement to his left startled Li Syaoran from his reminiscing. Class was over and the other students were gathering up their books and miscellany. They chatted and laughed and Syaoran felt oddly out of place, as he so often did. One silvery laugh drew his attention, as usual, and he found himself once again surreptitiously watching Sakura as she laughed with the cluster of girls who always hung around with her. Even without that aura of arcane power that Sakura had always exuded, she still had the power to draw people to her. 

Syaoran felt his face heating as he was forced to acknowledge that _he_ was among the people drawn to her. Her certainly wasn't alone among the male contingent of Sakura-admirers. It was very hard for Syaoran to keep from glaring at the trio of eager boys who hovered around the edges of Sakura's ring of female friends. Syaoran had to keep reminding himself that Sakura was still without her memories, and didn't really have any reason to return his interest. Whatever had been growing between them five years ago was no longer an issue, no matter how much it made his heart ache. 

Instinctively, his eyes sought the one person who he could relate with. Tomoyo had taken up a position somewhat outside Sakura's immediate ring of friends, and was watching her best friend with a gently content expression on her lovely face. If Syaoran hadn't been so thoroughly smitten with the oblivious Sakura, he would certainly have noticed how Tomoyo had grown over the years, her waifish features lengthening, along with her slender frame. Her skin and eyes were still luminous, framed by the lustrous fall of her dark hair. With a start, Syaoran realized that he was staring at Tomoyo, and she was now staring back. 

A mysterious little smile played about her lips as Tomoyo threaded her way around her classmates towards Syaoran. "You were staring at her again, Li-kun," she murmured once she got close enough to be heard. 

Syaoran blushed. He couldn't help it. "Uh . . . was I? Whoops." 

Tomoyo laughed gently. "Why don't you just ask her out?" She smiled wickedly then added, a little louder, "It's really frustrating to watch you moping around like this, Li-kun." 

With a startled yelp, Syaoran clapped a hand over Tomoyo's mouth, glancing over towards Sakura to make sure she hadn't heard. "Shhh!" he hissed frantically. "Don't let anyone hear!" 

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Li-kun," Tomoyo chided. "She's busy listening to Chiharu-chan babble about how silly Yamazaki-kun is. She's not paying any attention right now. But I could change that, if you want . . ?" 

Syaoran's glare was enough to change the subject somewhat. 

"Okay, no, then," she finished. "So, how's her seal doing? I saw you go fuzzy a little earlier and that usually means you're checking in on her." 

He shook his head slightly, a little surprised that Tomoyo was observant enough to notice his trance. "No change, really. It kinda fluctuates every few weeks, but nothing unusual. She looks a little . . . tired, I guess. Is that why you asked?" He tried to keep the uneasiness from surfacing in his voice. 

Tomoyo didn't bother trying to hide her worry. "Yeah, she's seemed a little distant recently, and she can barely stay awake in class these days. And she's just generally not, well, genki. You know how she usually is." 

Syaoran's interest was piqued. "That could mean that the seal _is_ beginning to weaken. Mother told me all about seals like hers when I was studying back home in Hong Kong. When the seal starts to weaken, the sealed person generally grows exhausted, since they're subconsciously shunting nearly all of their energy into maintaining the shield as long as possible." He began to grow excited, his gold-brown eyes lighting. "So maybe Sakura's starting to lose control of the shield!" He sighed. "Dammit, I wish I could ask Yue about this. He'd certainly know." 

"Unfortunately," Tomoyo replied in a dry voice, "Yue's not exactly available right now. And even if he was, how do you think you're going to sneak over to Yukito's place without Touya spotting you? You know as well as I do how good Sakura's brother is at catching you off-guard." 

The Chinese boy grumbled under his breath. "Stupid Touya." 

Tomoyo laughed delightedly and reached out to pat Syaoran's cheek fondly. "You're so cute, Li-kun," she pronounced, a little louder than she intended. 

Syaoran blushed immediately and tried to glare. He was only moderately successful. 

Meanwhile, Tomoyo's declaration of Li-kun's cuteness had drawn the attention of a certain Kinomoto Sakura who watched with unusual interest as her best friend chatted with the attractive foreign student. After a few moments, Li-kun gave up trying to keep a straight face when faced with Tomoyo's sly remarks about Sakura and himself, and he fled the classroom, his face scarlet. Sakura watched him go, then walked over to where Tomoyo was still chuckling quietly. "You found yet another cute one, Tomoyo-chan," she commented, managing to keep the jealousy from surfacing in her voice. 

Tomoyo blinked and glanced up at Sakura. "Who? Oh, Li-kun?" She smiled slyly. "You were watching him again?" 

Sakura blushed prettily. "I was not! I was just curious to see whoever it was you were flirting with." 

"Flirting?" Tomoyo asked mildly. "Hardly, Sakura-chan. He's . . . uh . . . not my type." 

Sakura looked a little relieved, but she hid it well. "Are you sure? You two looked awfully close?" 

Tomoyo laughed again and tossed the thick veil of her long hair over her shoulder. "He's an old friend, almost as old as you, Sakura-chan, but just a friend." She looped her arm through Sakura's and pulled her inexorably towards the doorway. "So there's no need to be jealous, ne?" 

"Jealous?!" yelped Sakura, her tone rather similar to Li-kun's from earlier. "You think that _I_ like Li Syaoran? I don't even know the boy!" She shook her head. "I mean, he _is_ pretty darn cute, but it's not like we'd have anything to talk about even if I _did_ try and get to know him." She glanced down the hall, as if seeking Syaoran's familiar figure, tall and leanly muscled. "He does seem awfully familiar, though. I always wonder if I know him from somewhere else . . ." 

Tomoyo looked startled for a moment, her glorious violet eyes widening. Then her face relaxed into it's usual mild expression. "Perhaps you two were lovers in another life," she suggested, struggling to hide her impish smile. 

"Tomoyo-chan!" gasped Sakura, her entire face flushing scarlet. She was torn between indignation from the teasing and embarrassment at how close Tomoyo's jibes seemed to cut. 

Tomoyo giggled and waved her hands in a warding gesture. "Sorry, I won't mention it again. Won't mention _him_ again. Won't mention how cute you think he is. Won't mention how you _stare_ at him, or how _he_ stares at _you_, or . . ." 

Sakura rolled her eyes and decided to ignore her friend. She didn't need to be reminded of Li-kun. She'd already spotted him, walking several yards ahead of them, his bag slung carelessly over one shoulder. He certainly _was_ undeniably cute, almost beautiful, his features were so fine. And now, as she watched him from the back, she had to admit that he had a really nice . . . 

"Sakura-chan!" called Tomoyo, waving a hand in front of her friend's face. "You're staring at Li-kun's butt again!" 

Staring as she was at Syaoran, Sakura couldn't help but notice how his step faltered and his back stiffened as he obviously heard every word that Tomoyo had just said. "Tomoyo-chan!" hissed Sakura, blushing horribly once more. 

Tomoyo quickly changed the subject to avoid embarrassing her friend any more than necessary. Sakura made non-committal answers to the dark-haired girl's comments, but her mind was elsewhere. Li Syaoran seemed so _familiar_ to her, and it was so very strange. She felt like she knew Li-kun, but despite going to school with him for a full five years, she hadn't spoken more than a few words to him. She glanced back ahead at his rapidly retreating form and smiled. _Well, I may not know him very well right now, _she thought, her smile widening into a mischievous grin, _But I can certainly fix that . . ._   
  
  
  
  
  


* * *


	2. Interlude: Touya

**Nadesico's Daughter: **

**.:Interlude: Touya:. **

**A Card-Captor Sakura Fanfiction by Kit Spooner **   
  
  
  
  
  


The alarm screamed in my ear. Despite my natural inclination, I silenced it and lurched out of bed. Turning, I tucked the blanket back around Yukito, and was immediately tempted to rejoin him in bed. Yuki always looked so irresistible when he was asleep, with his features relaxed, his hair in a disheveled tumble around his face, his fingers gently clasping the sheets. Then again, he was also pretty irresistible when he was awake. 

I showered and dressed in what had become my daily uniform: slacks, white dress shirt, tie, jacket. I still can't believe that I actually wear a _suit_ to work every day. For someone who spent his adolescence holding down a half-dozen part-time jobs everywhere from the local cafe to the zoo, it's pretty eery to have ended up at a relatively ordinary company like the Daidouji Entertainment Corporation. It's true that Tomoyo's mother, Sonomi, was the one who gave me my first job there, but at least I can honestly say that I've earned my current position. I still find it strange, though, that I've managed to become . . . well . . . normal. 

Or rather, my life has become as 'normal' as possible, if anyone could actually call it such. Not only am I the psychic older brother of a teenage superheroine, but I live with -- and am thoroughly besotted with -- a powerful, ancient, and certainly non-human being. At least I don't see spirits like I used to. One can only grow _so_ accustomed to the thousands of lingering ghosts that litter the world. When I was seventeen I gave up my power to save Yue from oblivion, and saved my Yuki as well. It was worth it, since I couldn't imagine my life without my snow-bunny, but I also kind of miss my own powers. Not that I could really _do_ much with them other than watch ghosts and build psychic shields to keep the ghosts _out_. 

I suddenly wondered how Yue felt about all of this. I'd never really talked to him much and I wondered how much of the real world he could sense while he was lying dormant, deep in Yukito's being. Was he watching now, trapped inside of Yukito now that he didn't have the power to manifest? I felt sorry for Yue for a moment, then remembered myself and roundly cursed him. He was part of the source of Sakura's troubles. I had managed, in the rush, to forget to press Yue for details about Sakura's shielding before it was too late. 

On the night that it happened, I was home studying, and was certainly surprised when Sakura and her odd assortment of friends showed up on my doorstep. Or rather, her friends showed up with Sakura. I almost killed the Brat right then and there when I saw him with Sakura, unconscious and bloody, in his arms. Fortunately, Yue was there as well, and I managed to curb my impulses long enough to wring an explanation out of the group, and long enough to realize that the Brat was already half-dead. 

I think that was probably the first time I ever caught a glimpse of the boy my sister loved, the boy hidden inside that snarly Chinese kid. He'd always been the Brat, in my mind, but after watching him slump wearily next to Sakura on the floor (they were both too bloody to be allowed spots on the couch), I began to comprehend what Sakura saw in him. He was really torn up; there was a long gash down one leg, the bleeding stanched by a makeshift tourniquet, and the side of his face was beginning to swell. It looked like someone had first beaten him with a baseball bat, then taken after him with a knife, then threw him head-first into a brick wall. I would later learn that it had been some sort of monster that had bludgeoned and slashed him, and it had been a tree that he'd been tossed into, but my initial assessment had been surprisingly accurate. Despite his injuries, the Chinese boy was struggling manfully to carry my limp little sister into the living room, his expression one of ineffable loss. He didn't even notice me enough to return my glare. 

Had Li been more aware of his surroundings, and less intent on staring soulfully into Sakura's unconscious face, he would have been rather surprised by how well I took the news that my little sister was some sort of magical, evil-fighting heroine. Yue was certainly startled by how calm I remained. The truth was that I already knew something was up. I'm a lot more perceptive than people generally give me credit for, even if they already know about my own psychic gifts. I already knew that while Sakura hadn't inherited the same powers that I had, she'd been gifted with something different and uniquely hers. 

Sakura had been acting strange for close to a year, at this point, and I knew that she'd ended up in a situation where she was using her power, but I'd assumed that it was fairly safe. If I'd known, at the time, exactly what she'd been up to with the Clow Cards, I would never have let it go on for so long. As I've mentioned before, I knew that Yukito wasn't human from the moment I first saw him, and I also knew that he was in some way related to whatever my sister was mixed up with. It was intuition, but strong. I even knew that there was something fishy about that ridiculous yellow stuffed toy Sakura always carried around with her. I did _not_, however, expect the little toy to turn into an huge, winged lion. Yue's true form was almost as surprising. 

I still took it all in stride. They each took turns explaining what had happened, and what they had done to my sister. Kerberos was giving me the strangest looks, as though he expected me to burst into flames at any moment. It was certainly strange to be faced with an enormous, magical creature that spoke with a strong Osaka accent. It was even stranger for the creature to be so obviously terrified of me. I wondered, in the back of my mind, what Sakura would have thought. Li was silent for the most part, interjecting comments and corrections only when he deemed it necessary. He was still sitting on the floor, back to the wall, with Sakura gathered into his lap. Yue's expression was a bizarre mixture of respect and amusement. He apparently had no idea that his Mistress' older brother was a bit of a sorcerer himself, and was put off guard a bit when I admitted that I knew he was Yukito. He also seemed to think it was funny that I cared so much about his false form. 

Maybe now would be a good time to admit that I'm a little scared of Yue. Yes, yes, I know that he's Yukito, and that Yukito's Yue, but they're so different. I think it was his amusement that night that irritated me the most. How someone could be amused by _anything_ when my baby sister was lying unconscious on the floor was beyond my comprehension. Yue was so . . . detached from the situation, despite the fact that his well-being, his very existence was imperiled by Sakura's incapacitation. I'm still afraid of Yue, even if he is currently out of the picture. In a way, his existence threatens almost everything I hold dear: my family, namely Sakura and Yukito. Yue not only has the power to put my little sister in danger, but he can also take away the man I love quite easily. 

I walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it to put my socks and shoes on. Yukito was still sound asleep, and would probably _stay_ sound asleep until _his_ alarm clock went off. I'm still in awe of the way he can sleep through almost anything. He's generally awake by the time I leave, though, so I didn't feel the need to linger too long at his bedside. He'd managed to land a job as a teacher at Tomoeda Elementary school, a job which suited him perfectly, I might add. Yuki's absolutely wonderful with his students and they simply adored him. He'd also been dropping subtle hints about just how _much_ he liked kids. I suspected it wouldn't be more than a few years before we ended up adopting one of our own. Or maybe more. 

Whatever the future held for Yuki and I, it would no doubt have to be put on hold until this whole mess with Sakura was cleaned up. As far as I could tell, and according to the brief reports Li gave me, the shields on Sakura remained exactly as they had been, and showed no signs of weakening or disintegration. This was both worrisome and a relief. I was certainly surprised that Yue and Kerberos' shields had lasted that long. Sakura's power is not something to be trifled with, and to simply contain it for so long is nothing short of amazing. I know that it hurt Tomoyo and the brat that Sakura didn't remember the Clow, and Sakura also seemed a bit distracted some of the time. It would be nice to have the old Sakura back. Yet when Sakura's shields fall, Yue will return. I hadn't seen or even communicated with Yue in five years, and much had changed. Five years ago, Yukito and I were still in high school, and despite our close friendship, were certainly not a couple. What would happen if Yue returned and decided that he didn't want to stay with me? 

I pushed the thought away. I didn't need to fret over it now. It wasn't like I hadn't already worried enough for the both of us. With a sigh, I concluded that I should probably go and talk to the brat soon, to see if there were any changes in Sakura. I grabbed my coat and headed out to the kitchen. Breakfast would help me clear my head and get me ready for work. 

I felt it when I neared the threshold of the kitchen area: a gentle, but insistent tingling at the base of my skull, very familiar, and rapidly increasing in intensity. I was thoroughly confused until I actually entered the kitchen and saw my mother calmly seated at my kitchen table, toying with the arrangement of flowers on the table. I hadn't seen my mother in nearly five years, not since I gave up my power. 

No matter how much I loved my mother, it was certainly startling to be greeted by her ghost so early in the morning. She was passing her insubstantial fingers back and forth through a large chrysanthemum. When I entered the kitchen, she glanced up and smiled at me. It was the same smile that had drawn my father to her, and it warmed me to the core. But I was still more than a little disturbed by her presence. 

"Mother?!" I said, my voice hoarse and choked. 

"Good morning, Touya, dear," she replied, her words echoing slightly. She was just as beautiful as I remembered, just as she was in her photographs. I was a bit surprised by how much Sakura resembled her now. Both mother and daughter shared the same facial structure, even if the hair and eye color differed. "It's lovely to see you again, dearest," she added. Her voice was so musical it sounded like she was singing. 

I finally managed to regain my composure enough to ask, "What are you doing here?!" 

"I'm here quite often, Touya. I always like to keep an eye on you, Sakura-chan and my Fujitaka," she said, a little reproachfully. "The only change is that now you can see me again." Her gaze shifted to the refrigerator. "You need to eat more green vegetables." 

Once more I was reduced to gaping stupidly at her. She simply smiled back at me. I cleared my throat and gathered my thoughts. "Uh, sure thing. I'll be sure to add some to the shopping list." Deciding that I needed to get some sort of breakfast together, I walked over to the fridge and sorted through leftovers. I also tried to act as normal as I possibly could, despite the reappearance of my dead mother. 

I finally found some rice, miso and a few leftover vegetables and assembled myself a meal. As I sat down at the table across from my mother, I caught her gaze and asked, as calmly as I could manage, "So why is it that I can see you again?" 

"That's actually what I need to talk to you about, dear," she replied, her expression growing uncharacteristically serious. "The reason you can see and hear me again is quite simple: Yue no longer needs your power to exist. So he returned it." She fell silent, watching me as her words sank in. 

It didn't take long. I knew what she was talking about. Shortly after Yue and Kerberos sealed Sakura's power away, I came home from work one day to find Yuki sprawled on the floor of our old kitchen, unconscious. Fortunately, Kero-chan showed up right after I did, and together we figured out what was going on. Just as Kerberos derives most of his energy from the sun, Yue gains strength from the moon. But while the sun merely rises and sets daily, the moon also waxes and wanes. It turns out that while Sakura was unsealed, she was supporting Yue during the times when the moon was dark. Now that Sakura's power was effectively taken away from Yue, he was slowly starving. In essence, Yue was dying. 

I'm pretty sure that when Yue offered, in his roundabout way, to seal Sakura, he knew that it would likely be lethal for him. He's too intelligent to have forgotten such a detail. What struck me, though, was how he didn't even bat an eye. Despite his cold nature, he cared enough about Sakura to endanger himself for her. I don't think that the possibility even occurred Kerberos. 

While I was never terribly close to Yue, I _was_ rather fond of his false form, and I wasn't keen on losing him. Kero and I finally worked out a solution: I would offer up my power, in lieu of Sakura's, to feed Yue enough energy to keep him alive. Unfortunately, I don't have nearly the power at my command that Sakura does. I'm like a candle compared to her forest fire. So while Sakura was able to support Yue's existence and activities with a mere fraction of her magic, it would take _all_ of mine to simply keep him alive as Yukito. Yue would be forced to remain dormant until Sakura broke through her shields. I simply don't have the power to fuel Yue's manifestations. 

It was strange, that night, to transfer my gift to Yukito. When Yuki awoke, I told him that he'd fainted when he came over to my house, and he accepted my words at face value. He always seems to trust me implicitly, but I think he suspects more than he lets on. I felt kind of drained, after Kero linked the two of us, but it was also the first time in my life when I couldn't see my mother. I found that while I didn't miss seeing all the ghosts that seem to flock to a psychic like me, I _did_ miss Mother. I missed her a lot. 

And now she was back. And this meant that my power was back. And that meant that Yue was getting the energy he needed from another source. As far as I knew, there was only one possibility: The shields on Sakura's power were beginning to degrade. 

"Oh, shit," I whispered reflexively. 

"Watch your language, young man," my mother said sternly, or as sternly as she could manage. She'd never been terribly good with discipline. 

"Sorry, Mom," I mumbled, too distracted by her news. Sakura's shields would be falling soon. "How long does she have?" I asked shortly. 

"If nothing happens to change the balance of power, the shields could last as long as a week." Her glorious eyes were solemn. "If anything happens, though, the shields could dissolve in an instant." 

"That soon . . ." I murmured, troubled by the prospect. 

"I'm afraid that it may still be too _soon_, Touya," she continued. "She's matured and can most likely handle the power of the Clow Cards. But at this point, she still hasn't come into her full inheritance yet. Not even close. I . . . am worried." 

The expression on her face was almost painful to watch, and I wished, for the thousandth time, that I could touch her. I wanted to hug her so much. "Don't worry, Mom," I said softly. "I'll keep an eye on her. I won't let anything happen to her. I promise I'll keep her safe." I smiled slightly. "And besides, don't underestimate the Brat. He's got some pretty powerful magic at his disposal. He also adores Sakura and would walk through fire for her. He's almost as pitiful as I am, sometimes." 

The last comment brought a small smile to her face, transforming her once more into the stunningly beautiful woman that she had been in life. "Yes, that boy certainly does love your sister. I know it irritates you, but I think it's simply adorable." She sighed and cradled her chin in her hands. "But, yes, I know you'll watch over Sakura-chan. You always have. I just can't help but worry about her. There's so much that she doesn't know yet, so much that Kerberos and Yue can't help her with." 

I watched her curiously, the detached, logical portion of my mind wondering how she knew so much about the guardians of Clow. She almost seemed to be rambling now. 

"She'll have to figure things out for herself, and that's so dangerous for someone of her potential. I wish I could have taught her . . . There's just no one left with the right knowledge." An odd expression came over her face. "It's a shame Sonomi showed no interest in learning. She would have been perfect to teach Sakura-chan." 

I was thoroughly confused now, and she sensed it almost immediately, ceasing her worried chatter. "Sorry, Touya," she said, reaching out with one slender, ethereal hand to run her fingers along my cheek. "All mothers worry about their children, and generally it takes more than mere death to keep a woman from her children." 

"If you say so, Mom," I replied weakly, still trying to puzzle through her earlier statements. What did Tomoyo's mother have to do with all of this? 

"I suppose I ought to leave you to your breakfast." Her faintly-glowing form drifted gently up out of her chair, until she could lean over the table and press a kiss against my forehead. I could almost feel it. "I wouldn't want my wonderful son to be late for work." 

"Mom . . ." 

"Just remember to help Sakura-chan out if you possibly can. She'll need you more than ever over the next few days." Her expression softened and she smiled. "And say hello to Yuki for me. He's such a dear boy. Be sure you take good care of him as well. Sakura's magic affects everyone, you know. Yue will be hit hard." She began to fade from view. "And remember to get more greens when you go the grocery store!" And Kinomoto Nadesico was gone once more. 

I groaned and let my head drop down onto the tabletop. "Damn, this really sucks." I was most certainly _not_ in the best frame of mind to head to work. "I swear, she must get a thrill out of confusing me." I paused, realizing that I was now talking to an empty kitchen. 

Not completely empty. Yuki's cat, Kinu, was watching me in her usual disdainful manner from her perch atop the refrigerator. It was odd. Kinu was normally excessively friendly towards Yukito, but over the past few days, she'd refused to even be in the same room as him. I suddenly wondered whether it had anything to do with Yue. I know that cats generally avoid spirits and the like. In all likelihood, Kinu had been throwing me signals for almost a week and I'd been too dense to notice. 

I sighed. _Great, so now I've been shown up by a _cat,I thought dejectedly. I also wondered if I would have noticed the changes in the shield if I'd never given my power to Yue. 

_And how on earth does Mom know about all of this?!_

Kinu continued to stare complacently at me, and I decided that I'd ignore her right back. I finished my rice in peace, doing my best to ignore the questions that my mother's visit had sent roiling through my head.   
  



	3. Part Two

**Nadesico's Daughter:**

**.:Chapter Two:.**

**A Card-Captor Sakura Fanfiction by Kit Spooner**   
  


Standard Disclaimer: All characters portrayed here are the property of CLAMP, Kodansha, a bunch of other Japanese media companies, and a certain Canadian dubbing company that will heretofore go unnamed. I don't claim to own these characters, but the situations I put them in belong to me. I would rather this wasn't posted anywhere without my permission, so email me with questions. Don't steal. I bite. 

Note: Some of the more unusual, italicized terms are defined at the end, so don't be afraid to check my goofy definitions out.   
  


* * *

  
As class let out for lunch, Sakura rose to gather her belongings and to find her best friend. Chiharu and the other people she generally ate lunch with were slowly grouping to one side of the classroom. Chiharu waved cheerily to Sakura, but Sakura shook her head and mouthed, across the room, to her, "Go ahead without me." 

Chiharu nodded in understanding and went back to her usual task of bullying Yamazaki into behaving. 

"Is something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, appearing as if by magic at Sakura's elbow. Sakura started in surprise. 

"Gaah, don't sneak up on me like that, Tomoyo-chan!" she admonished, willing her heart rate to return to normal. 

Tomoyo smiled in that gentle way of hers. "Sorry, sorry." She linked her arm with Sakura's and walked with her out of the classroom. "I was just wondering what you were doing for lunch. We normally eat with Chiharu and Yamazaki and the rest. Do you have something else planned?" 

Sakura couldn't quite suppress the blush that rose to her cheeks. Tomoyo suddenly had an inkling of what Sakura was up to, but wanted to hear it from Sakura herself. 

"Uh, I just thought it might be nice to sit somewhere else for once, ne?" Sakura replied, her tone as bland as she could manage. 

"Oh, I see." The two girls stepped out of the front doors and stood blinking in the sunlight for a moment. Tomoyo watched Sakura scan the schoolyard and hid her smile. "So," Tomoyo began conversationally. "Did you want me to eat lunch with you, or did you want the time alone with Li-kun?" 

Sakura choked on what she was going to say, her face flaming. She gave Tomoyo a rather sheepish smile. "How'd you guess, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked, curiously. "Was I, um, staring at him again like yesterday?" She blushed some more. 

Tomoyo shook her head and tugged Sakura down the stairs towards one corner of the lawn. "No, I just had a feeling. You're not always as subtle as you seem to think you are, Sakura-chan." She patted Sakura's hand. "But don't feel bad about it. I think it's cute. I'm sure Li-kun does too." 

Sakura continued to blush and Tomoyo continued to lead her across the grassy schoolyard. After a moment, Sakura looked around and finally asked, "Ne, Tomoyo-chan? Where are we going?" 

"You wanted to eat lunch with Li-kun, right?" At Sakura's embarrassed nod, Tomoyo smiled again and explained. "Well, I thought I'd take you over to where he eats." 

"Hey, how do you know where he eats? He always just disappears during lunch!" 

"As I said yesterday, he's an old friend, so I try to keep an eye on him." They continued to walk until at last they came to a tall, stately tree that grew off to one side of the yard. Tomoyo came to a halt and settled herself down on the grass, laying her lunch out in front of her. 

"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura began, hesitantly. There was a distinct lack of Li-kun, and she'd really been hoping to see him again. "Where's . . ." 

"Li-kun!" Tomoyo called out loudly, startling Sakura once more. "You can come down now!" 

Sakura heard a low grumbling from somewhere overhead and then yelped in surprise as Li Syaoran dropped down from the canopy of the tree, _bento_ box in hand, landing gracefully on his feet a couple meters away. Sakura stared at him in disbelief. Syaoran stared back at her, the faintest of blushes beginning to color his cheeks. Finally Sakura blurted out, "You eat lunch in a _tree_?!" 

Tomoyo began to laugh, a light, musical giggle. 

"Um. Yeah." Syaoran looked torn between the desire to stare more at Sakura and the desire to throttle Tomoyo for not only bringing her over here, but for having the temerity to laugh at him. "It's peaceful up there and no one can bother me." 

Sakura was instantly apologetic. "Oh, no! I'm _so_ sorry to bother you. I didn't know you wanted to be alone. Tomoyo and I can . . ." 

"No, it's alright!" he said quickly, interrupting her babble. "It would be nice to have people to talk with during lunch for a change." 

"Oh, okay . . ." 

Tomoyo's gaze swung between Sakura and Syaoran, her smile widening as she watched the mutual blushing. _They really are adorable_, she thought smugly. _I should have brought Sakura over here long ago._ "Well, if you two are done looking at each other, why don't you sit down. We've only got a finite amount of time to eat, you know." 

Syaoran flushed even more and dropped to the ground, setting his lunch down in front of him. Sakura gave Tomoyo a _look_ and did likewise. The three teenagers ate in silence for a while, two of them desperately trying to think of something to say, the third content to merely watch two of the people she was fondest of in the world. Tomoyo, had to suppress further laughter when she noticed the glances Sakura and Syaoran kept stealing at each other. Finally, Sakura seemed to gather her courage and she _smiled_ at Syaoran. Syaoran looked as though someone had hit him over the head with a baseball bat. 

"So, Li-kun, why is it that you don't eat lunch with any of the other groups of students," Sakura asked curiously, shifting herself a little closer to the Chinese boy. 

Now Syaoran looked almost ready to bolt. Or maybe faint. "I-it's because I d-don't really know a l-l-lot of p-people at this school," he managed to stammer out, despite the distraction of Sakura's proximity. 

Sakura's frowned slightly. "Really? But you've been here for years, haven't you? You're bound to have made some friends in all that time, ne?" She glanced to Tomoyo for support. Syaoran gave Tomoyo a pleading look, as though begging for help. 

"Sakura-chan, just because he's not _your _friend doesn't mean he doesn't have _any_ friends," Tomoyo said gently. "He hangs out with Yamazaki-kun sometimes, for example. And I see him fairly regularly. He also talks with Rika-chan and Chiharu-chan." 

Syaoran was still having trouble finding his voice, so he merely gave Tomoyo a relieved look. 

"Oh," Sakura murmured, after pondering Tomoyo's last statement. "So you're friends with all of my friends, but not friends with me, Li-kun?" She glanced back up at the boy in question. 

Syaoran wanted to kick himself. She actually looked _sad_. _Does she remember me?_ he wondered, nibbling his lower lip in consternation. _No, she just thinks I've been snubbing her for a few years. Great._ "W-well I just never got to know you, Kinomoto-san," he replied, keeping his voice steady despite his nervousness. "I suppose I could be your friend if you wanted me to . . ." 

Sakura's slightly unhappy expression melted into one of those mega-watt smiles that Syaoran had trouble dealing with. "Great! I'd love to have you as a friend!" she enthused, beaming first at Syaoran and then at Tomoyo. She reached over and lay a hand on Syaoran's shoulder. "I've always thought you looked like you needed a friend." 

Syaoran froze instantly at her touch. _Oh, geez. She's touching me and I'm going to fall apart any moment now . . ._ He began to tremble ever so slightly. Sakura didn't notice. She's begun to stare at Syaoran again, her gaze intent, as though searching for something in his expression. Syaoran hoped he wasn't blushing too much. 

_He seems so _familiar, she thought, feeling a little confused. _What was it that Tomoyo was joking about the other day? Lovers in another life?_ She peered at him intently for another moment, unconsciously tightening her hand slightly on his shoulder. She finally asked him. "Do you believe in reincarnation, Li-kun?" 

Syaoran began to freak out. _Shit! She almost remembers me! Does this mean the shields are about to fall? Hell, this is a really bad time and place for that to happen. In the middle of school!_ He shota panicked glance towards Tomoyo, who was still greatly amused by their antics. 

Despite her amusement, Tomoyo immediately picked up on his distress. She suspected that he wasn't merely flustered over Sakura's gentle flirting, and decided to step in. "Sakura-chan," she said softly, "Perhaps you ought to rescue your rice balls. You're beginning to attract ants." 

With a little yelp, Sakura scurried backwards a bit and pulled her lunch along with her, attempting to shoo the ants away without actually smashing any of them. She also took her hand away from Syaoran's shoulder, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Tomoyo smiled. If Sakura had kept in physical contact with him for much longer he would have probably burst a blood vessel or something. She shook her head. It was so strange that Sakura never seemed to notice the effect she had on the people who loved her. 

Syaoran felt his mouth curve into a faint smile as he watched Sakura trying to evade the ants. He'd forgotten to mention the other reason why he ate up in the tree, and why other students tended to avoid the area: There was a huge, sprawling colony of ants that patrolled the grassy area beneath the tree. He absently flicked an ant off of his shoe and continued to watch her. It was then, as he watched Sakura battle a colony of ants, that he realized just how much he'd missed being around her over the years. He'd been able to content himself with watching her, with hearing about her daily life from Tomoyo, but he now knew that it wasn't enough. He wanted to _be_ with Sakura, wanted to talk with her and make her smile. He felt his heart clench. 

_It isn't fair!_ He silently repeated for the umpteenth time. _When I get hold of Kerberos, I think I'm going to wring his scrawny little neck. This is basically _his_ fault, anyway. If he hadn't allowed Sakura to find the Book of Clow, hadn't allowed her to become the Clow Mistress too early, they would never have had to seal her power and memories._ He gritted his teeth then knit his brow as another thought occurred to him. _But if he hadn't introduced her to her powers too early, then I would never have been sent to retrieve the recently reactivated Cards, and I would never have met her._ The mere concept, the idea of never meeting Kinomoto Sakura, was too horrible, too inconceivable; he couldn't even consider it. Maybe he should bring Kero-chan some cookies instead. 

Sakura was surreptitiously watching Syaoran and saw the small, preoccupied smile that formed on his lips. It made her feel . . . nice. She found, to her surprise, that she also felt comfortable in his presence. It really did feel as though she _knew_ him from somewhere. But she didn't. He'd been at the peripheral of her life at school for a little over five years, but they'd never been close. She flicked a few more ants off of the rim of her _bento_ box lid. 

_I'm glad I came over here for lunch_, she decided. _I'll have to do it again._ She glanced over at Tomoyo, who wore a beautiful, yet enigmatic smile. _Tomoyo-chan looks awfully smug. How'd she know I'd get along so well with Li-kun?_ She nibbled delicately on her last, ant-free rice ball. _I just _know_ she set this up, somehow. Not that I mind at all,_ she quickly added. _Maybe I ought to thank her later for pushing me at Li-kun . . ._

Tomoyo, for her part, needed no verbal thanks. She was enjoying herself immensely. It was a real treat to be able to watch Sakura and Syaoran so happy, though neither would probably be willing to admit it. They both seemed so _alive_ when they were with each other, which wasn't so surprising in Syaoran's case. He'd been watching, practically stalking Sakura for five years, and was so thoroughly in love with her that any sort of interaction with her was bound to make him glow like a small sun. Sakura's reaction to Syaoran was a bit more startling, since she had shown little interest in the boy, cute as he was, until recently. Yet here she was, smiling and laughing along with him, her face shining with energy. 

_Li-kun can talk about fluctuations in the energy levels of her shields,_ thought Tomoyo as she sipped at her tea, _But I can tell just by the way she acts. Sakura-chan's shields are almost gone. Soon, very soon, we'll have our old Sakura-chan back._

* * *

  
  


The rest of the school day floated by for Syaoran. He was, he admitted to himself, in a bit of a daze. Lunch had been very nice. He'd missed spending time with Sakura. And he now had the chance once more. Before heading back to class, Sakura had blithely declared her intention to eat lunch with him again the next school day, and it had been very difficult for Syaoran to keep from grinning like an idiot. 

"You did just fine," Tomoyo had murmured softly in his ear as she left at the end of the day. "You were charming and attentive and managed to keep from blushing _too_ much. Good boy." 

Syaoran had attempted to give her one of his characteristic glares, but it was difficult to manage when he was in such a wonderful mood. 

So now he was lurking in the shadows by the gate of the school, waiting for Sakura to come out. Cheerleading practice had run late, as usual, and that meant that Syaoran had to wait even longer before he could trail along after Sakura as she headed home. It was a comfortable routine. He'd hide in the bushes and she'd appear, chatting with her cheerleading friends, in the cool glow of the floodlights that kept the schoolyard lit in the evening. Sometimes she'd walk home with one or more of her cheerleading friends, or with Tomoyo if she was around. More often she'd walk home alone, since it was only a few blocks, and the streets of Tomoeda were quite safe. 

_Safe for normal people,_ Syaoran reminded himself, keeping alert from his vantage point behind a concealing shrub. _Maybe I won't have to deal with one of those _things_ tonight,_ he thought hopefully. _If we can avoid those stupid _gakis_ my day would just be perfect. Simply perfect._

Syaoran had wondered for a few weeks after Sakura had been sealed, those five, long years ago, what Yue had been talking about when he'd roped Syaoran into playing watchdog for Sakura. "We need you to help us keep an eye on Sakura," he'd said. "No matter how well we seal them, how tightly they're kept, at least _some_ power will leak out, and this may cause problems." 

At the time, Syaoran had assumed that Yue was merely giving him something to do to keep him from going crazy waiting for Sakura to return to normal. He should have known better. When had Yue ever been concerned about his _feelings_? 

Three weeks after the sealing, Syaoran had been following Sakura home, keeping to the shadows, when he'd _felt_ something else, lurking in the shadows. For a moment, he'd thought it was Yue. He'd caught a glimpse of something humanoid, and its power signature had been similar to Yue's, not quite human, not quite spirit. Startled, he had dashed forward to find out what was going on. Then he saw it. 

It wasn't Yue. 

He'd researched later to try and figure out what the _thing_ was, since he'd never encountered anything quite like it in his training. It turned out to be a _gaki_, an exclusively Japanese sort of parasitic spirit-monster. Most _gakis_ were harmless, and fed on an assortment of by-products of humanity: smoke from chimneys, garbage from landfills, the aroma of fine perfume, the emanations from meditation. But there were also a handful of _gaki _types that were much more dangerous. The worst of these fed on flesh, blood, or human souls. _Thank goodness I haven't run up against any of those,_ Syaoran thought with a little relief. 

What Syaoran had been periodically battling for the past five years was an unusual type of _gaki_ that fed exclusively on magical energy. While Sakura's powers were sealed, most of her magic was safely locked away inside of her, but as Yue had hinted, there was some leakage. And with Sakura, even 'leakage' was enough to draw the _gakis_. So Syaoran guarded. He followed Sakura around like some crazed stalker and killed the _gakis_ that dared to prey on her. While the _gakis_ were not terribly challenging opponents in themselves, barely enough to keep his sword forms in top shape and to allow him to flex his magical muscles now and then, the challenge lay in finding ways to dispatch to monsters without alerting Sakura, or the rest of the neighborhood. _That_ was a challenge worthy of his attention. 

To make matters worse, the _gaki _attacks seemed to be increasing in frequency and severity. Five years ago, the _gakis _seemed to appear every month or so. Now, Syaoran was being forced to destroy the creatures several times a week. It made him nervous, but it also made him dare to hope that Sakura's shields were weakening. 

The sound of muted laughter drew Syaoran's attention and he peered out through the foliage of the bush. It was indeed Sakura, along with two girls that Syaoran didn't know very well. Sakura smiled and waved off the other girls' offer to walk home with her, and headed south out of the gates of the school. 

Syaoran sighed with relief and stretched his arms over his head, his vertebrae crackling. _It's about bloody time,_ he thought crankily. _Practice must have run later than usual tonight._ He slipped out from behind the bushes and swung up onto the stone wall that surrounded the school. Sakura was completely oblivious, as usual, to his presence above and behind her. 

Sakura hefted her duffel bag up to a more comfortable position on her shoulder and began to hum softly. Syaoran recognized it as one of Tomoyo's choral pieces. He wished he dared get closer to Sakura so he could hear her better. But she was distracting enough as it was. He was staring so hard at her he almost fell off the wall. Her hair, damp with sweat from practice, was tossed by the ambient breeze, strands drifting across her face periodically. The skirt of her practice uniform swung from side to side as she walked, mirroring the gentle sway of her hips . . . 

Syaoran was startled out of his reverie by the hum of magic nearby. His silent padding along the wall ceased immediately as he strained his finely-honed senses, attempting to pin down the source. It most certainly wasn't Sakura. It felt like a _gaki _to him. _Well, today was simply too good to last. It's gotta be a _gaki_. My day's been perfect so far and I guess it's time for _something_ to go wrong._ With a sigh, the Chinese boy turned around and leapt down from the wall, dashing off in the direction of the magical emanations. 

He found the _gaki_ a few blocks down. It was a tall, gaunt creature, roughly humanoid in form, but more angular, its joints seeming slightly . . . _off_, somehow. It was as though someone had briefly looked at a human skeleton and then tried to reproduce it from memory some time later. The _gaki_ was standing poised in the middle of the street, its face, or rather, what passed for its face, raised to the sky, as though it was sniffing out something to eat. _Sakura,_ thought Syaoran grimly. 

"Well, not tonight, buddy," he muttered. "Not on _my_ watch." 

Syaoran didn't give the creature any time to prepare. He simply struck, leaping at its back, willing his sword into existence mid-leap. His slash to the _gaki_'s neck slowed the creature down enough that Syaoran had the time to ready a magical attack. He pulled a neatly-printed _ofuda_ from his jacket pocket, and murmured the accompanying incantation. The _gaki_ screamed as the _ofuda_ blazed into its side and burst into incandescent blue flames. 

Syaoran took a few steps back away from the dying creature. He knew from experience that they were still dangerous at this point. There was no reason for him to risk getting clawed in the face by a burning _gaki_. Soon, the shrill shrieks and whistles of the _gaki_ died down and the physical remnants of the monster sizzled and popped in the fire. The smell was one part of his battles that Syaoran would never get used to. It wasn't simply the scent of burning flesh. There was something unclean about the smell, and he always felt the need to shower after these incidents. Finally, the flames burned themselves out, and all that remained of the _gaki_ was charred dust that the wind stirred in little eddies. 

_Thank goodness that was quick_, thought Syaoran as he retrieved his sword. _It's been a while since I've gotten a _gaki_ that was that easy to kill. I thought that Sakura was starting to attract the higher level ones._

He felt the scream before he heard it. It pierced his psychic barrier and almost knocked him to the pavement. _Oh, shit. What was that?_ The cry came again, this time a little weaker. Then he realized and was galvanized into action. 

"Sakura!" he yelled as he raced back to the street where he knew she was. He didn't even bother to try and be stealthy. Something was terribly wrong. He could feel Sakura's distress blocks away. 

When he skidded around the corner and onto the main street, he brought out his sword once more. Sakura stood in a pool of light from a streetlamp, her face frighteningly pale, her eyes wide and blank. A large _gaki_ stood a few feet in front of her, using its claw-tipped 'fingers' to tear at the faintly luminous sphere that enclosed Sakura in a protective shield. Occasionally Sakura screamed, high and shrill, only to be echoed by the hungry bellow of the creature attacking her. 

_Dammit! There were _two_ of them!_ Syaoran was furious with himself for letting his guard down like that. With an enraged shout, he ran at the _gaki_, his sword held at the ready. This time, the _gaki_ heard him coming and was prepared. It sidestepped away from his sword strike and struck him full in the chest with one bony fist. Fortunately, this meant that he wasn't sliced into pieces by the creature's claws. Unfortunately, this meant that Syaoran was sent flying into the stone wall he'd so recently been walking atop. "Ow," Syaoran said weakly as he carefully pulled himself out of the small crater his impact had formed. 

Meanwhile, the _gaki_ continued to hack methodically at the shields wrapped around Sakura. The bluish glow would fizzle periodically, when the monster got good hits in, but it was holding strong. This was good, since within the protection of the shield, Sakura was still standing motionless, her face frozen in an expression of surprise and horror and utter bewilderment. To Syaoran, it looked like Sakura was going into both physical and mental shock. He'd taken a brief crash-course in first aid last summer, and had learned to recognize the symptoms. _I've got to get rid of that _gaki_ right now!_

After a string of colorful, Chinese curses, Syaoran made another dash towards the _gaki_. This time he struck with his magic first. A quickly muttered incantation sent a bolt of brilliant green lightning crackling down the length of his sword. The lightning arced across the intervening space and connected with the _gaki_'s thigh, charring the murky gray-brown flesh. _That_ got the creature's attention, and it finally stopped pounding at Sakura's shield and turned to glare balefully at Syaoran, its yellow eyes ablaze with pain and hunger. 

Syaoran wasn't quite the tasty morsel that Sakura was, but he there was still a generous amount of energy emanating from him, and he didn't have the doubly-reinforced shielding that she had. The _gaki_ decided that it might be able to whet its appetite by draining Syaoran's power first. So it leapt at him. 

The boy knew it was coming, though, could practically feel the thoughts running through the _gaki_'s tiny, alien mind. Quicker than the gaki, he scampered up the tree behind him and swung over to the branch directly above the monster's head. He sent a tendril of power down into the blade of his sword. Then, glowing sword held in both hands, he dropped down out of the tree onto the broad shoulders of the _gaki_. He drove the point of his sword straight down through the neck and into the chest cavity of the creature. Syaoran didn't really know whether _gakis_ had hearts, but he knew that a sword through the chest was an efficient, if messy, way to dispatch them. He gave his sword a firm twist, sending a shock of power coursing through the blade, then withdrew it, jumping back down to the ground, away from the monster. 

Thick, black ichor sprayed from the gaping hole in the _gaki_'s chest, and Syaoran hadn't moved far enough away to escape the mess. At this point, the _gaki_ was whistling shrilly in pain and making horrible gurgling sounds as it writhed on the pavement, flailing its limbs and spraying the foul-smelling liquid in a wider arc. Syaoran ended up with a thick coat of ichor on his shirt and trousers. There was also a fine dribble of the stuff dripping off his hair and onto his cheek. "This is disgusting," he commented to no one. 

An inarticulate whimper behind him reminded Syaoran of Sakura's presence within the still-glowing hemisphere of her shield. He dashed over to the brightly-lit barrier, and to his surprise, it melted away at his touch. Sakura's expression was still one of confused horror, but it soon faded as her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled to the ground in a dead faint. Syaoran wasn't quite fast enough to catch her before she hit, and he winced at the sound of her body connecting with the pavement. He knelt down and gathered her unconscious form into his arms, shaking her gently. "Sakura?" She didn't respond. 

Aside from a few bruises and abrasions, and the fact that she was unconscious, she looked alright to Syaoran. So he hauled her up onto his back, gathered their school bags, and headed down the street. He didn't think it would be a good idea to take her home in this condition. He didn't really think he had the energy to explain the situation to her father, or, heaven forbid, her brother if he was around. Syaoran's own apartment wasn't terribly close, but Tomoyo's house was only a few blocks away. He suspected that even if her mother was home, she wouldn't be terribly shocked to see the pair of them. Syaoran had his own suspicions about Daidouji Sonomi. 

Sakura didn't wake or even stir as he walked, despite the fact that her head kept flopping forward, her chin hitting the back of his neck. He assumed that her pulse rate had returned to normal, since he could no longer feel her heartbeat thumping madly against his back. _She'll probably be fine_, he decided with a relieved sigh. _I'll bet she won't even remember this. Or at least I hope she doesn't. I'm surprised that her shielding hasn't snapped yet. I'd have thought that something like the _gaki _attack would have done the trick._ He felt a mingling of disappointment and relief. 

_And Tomoyo ought to be able to make up some sort of convincing story to tell Sakura. She'll certainly want to know why she ended up bruised and dirty and passed out at Tomoyo's house,_ he thought as he stopped at the front gate to Tomoyo's house. He had to juggle the backpacks a bit so he could free up a hand to push the button of the intercom. 

The maid who answered the intercom's call was understandably reluctant to let a boy covered in black slime into her employer's house. So Syaoran asked her to go fetch Tomoyo. Luckily for him, Tomoyo was home and waved aside the maid's protests. "Don't worry, Kimiko," Syaoran could hear her say to the maid over the sensitive, high-tech intercom. The Daidouji's always seemed to be surrounded by cutting-edge technology. "They're friends of mine." 

Five minutes later, Syaoran found himself sitting on a towel-draped chair in Tomoyo's bedroom, sipping a cup of tea while Tomoyo fussed over Sakura, who was now comfortably laid out on Tomoyo's bed, still unconscious. "So you think you can give her some sort of explanation when she wakes up?" Syaoran asked hopefully when he finished telling Tomoyo about what had happened. He blew gently on his steaming tea, his weary eyes following the curls of steam. 

"No problem, Li-kun," Tomoyo replied sweetly. She walked over and poured herself a cup of tea, then sat down in the chair opposite Syaoran's. "She's even easier to lie to than you are, you know. Yamazaki-kun will agree with me on that one." 

Syaoran ignored her teasing and sighed. "I don't suppose I could borrow a blanket and a pillow for the night, could I? I can just sleep on the floor here if it's all right. I don't really like that idea of leaving her here. I don't know whether the _gakis_ would be able to track her or not." He was dead tired and would gladly have slept on a park bench at this point. 

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Tomoyo murmured, glancing over at Sakura's prone form. As if on cue, the girl sighed in her sleep and rolled away from them onto her side. 

Syaoran jumped up from where he sat, his chair skidding loudly on the floor. He crossed the room to the bed in a moment and bent over Sakura, checking to see if she was waking. "Why isn't it a good idea?" he finally asked, a little grumpily, his eyes remaining on Sakura, who was still out for the count. 

"Well, for starters," Tomoyo began, ticking points off on her fingers, "It's going to be tough enough having to explain all of this to her without having you around as well. She'll certainly ask what you're doing hovering over her." Syaoran jerked back away from Sakura and blushed crimson. "Secondly, my mother won't bat an eyelash at having Sakura spend the night, but she generally draws the line at boys." Syaoran blushed more. 

"Oh," he said in a subdued tone. "Maybe you're right." 

"And thirdly," Tomoyo continued pointedly. "You're covered in something completely disgusting. I assume it came out of the _gaki_ you killed. Whatever it is, you're dripping onto my carpet. And it might upset Sakura a little if she wakes up to find you bending over her, _gaki_ guts dribbling down your face, stinking like a sewer. What do you think, Li-kun?" Her expression was smug and faintly amused by her impeccable logic and the stunned expression on Syaoran's face. 

Syaoran glanced down at his dirty clothing, then farther down at the black goo he was dripping onto Tomoyo's floor. He yelped in surprise. "Oh, shit!" Tomoyo raised an eyebrow at his language. "Uh, whoops. Sorry," he replied quickly. "Um, drat." Tomoyo had to choke back a giggle. "I ought to go shower and stick my clothes in the laundry." He paused. "No, I probably ought to burn them. I think they'd gunk up the washing machine." 

He walked back to Tomoyo's table and drained the last of his tea in a single gulp. "I guess I'll go now," he finally said. "I'll call tomorrow morning to check on Sakura." He scooped up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and headed towards the window. "Thanks for the tea!" he added before sliding the window open and darting outside through it. 

"You could have used the door!" Tomoyo called after him in exasperation. But he was already gone. She looked out into the night, but there was no sign of him. _He's gotten too darn good at disappearing like that_, she thought fondly. 

With a sigh, she changed into her nightgown and sat down on the edge of her bed, next to Sakura. She brushed Sakura's hair out of her face. "Oh, Sakura-chan, what are we going to do with you?" she asked quietly. 

Sakura didn't respond, but the tension in her face eased at Tomoyo's touch and the last thing Tomoyo saw before she turned the lights off was a faint smile on her best friend's face.   
  


* * *

  
Syaoran was too antsy to sleep. 

His nervous energy had built to a fever pitch as he'd walked home from Tomoyo's house. He reached his apartment quickly, since he was roof-hopping instead of taking the sidewalk. He'd tossed his ruined clothing in the incinerator, showered, and then lay down in his bed, but sleep was not forthcoming. 

After tossing and turning for about an hour, he decided to give up. He dressed once more and left his apartment, heading back in the direction of Tomoyo's house. It wasn't that he actually _expected_ to find another _gaki_ stalking Sakura, but he figured that if he was awake, he might as well check things out. Maybe he could find some clues as to why the _gakis_ were suddenly behaving in a more sentient, intelligent manner. He really didn't like the idea of the creatures working together in pairs or groups. They were difficult enough to deal with singly. 

Tomoeda was quiet, which wasn't surprising since it was close to one a.m. at this point. The streetlights were still lit, and still casting their blue-tinged shadows against the houses and cars parked on the street. Syaoran strained his senses, both magical and mundane, seeking any sign of more _gakis_, but he felt nothing. Everything was silent. 

After a few minutes of his restless patrol, Syaoran found himself at the spot where he'd killed the second gaki. The corpse was still there, since Syaoran had been a little distracted at the time, and had forgotten to dispose of it. He pulled another _ofuda_ from his pocket, muttered a few liquid syllables, and tossed it at the reeking _gaki_ corpse. The dead creature was immediately engulfed in flames, but an improvised dampening field guaranteed that the local residents wouldn't notice. 

Sakura's long period of shielding had been difficult for Syaoran's heart, but good for his magical skills. He'd been forced to create dozens of new spells and incantations, and modify even more pre-existing ones, to solve the problems that he'd had to face. The dampening field created a wall that blocked out both sight and sound. He was rather proud of the spell, since it utilized his comparatively meager powers to the maximum. Unfortunately, he hadn't figured out a way to block out the smell. He knew that many of the people who lived in the area were convinced that someone was setting off stinkbombs at night. Most of the time, all he could do was hope for rain or a stiff breeze to clear the stench. 

The _gaki_ corpse sizzled and popped and was silent. The flames died down to embers, then died out completely. The remaining ash would be spread by the breeze enough that there would be no sign of the creature by morning. _Good system, if I don't say so myself_, thought Syaoran smugly as he headed off down the street, releasing the dampening spell as he went. 

About an hour after Syaoran began his self-imposed watch, he felt something. It wasn't a gaki, he was sure of that. He could feel something moving around at the periphery of his magical senses, but couldn't quite identify it. _Oh, geez. It's not a _gaki_, but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous._ He darted to one side of the street and began to slip among the shadows, heading towards Tomoyo's house, where the power seemed to be emanating. Every few steps he would pause to send out magical 'feelers', to try and figure out what he was dealing with. 

_Touya?_ The power signature felt a little like Sakura's brother's had, but as far as Syaoran knew, Touya's powers were still linked up with Yukito's, so he couldn't possibly be the one lurking somewhere ahead. 

Oddly enough, the aura he felt, now only one block away, felt rather similar to Yue's. _Could _Yue_ possibly be moving around now too? _He felt elation rise in him. _If it _is_ Yue, then I can grab him and get him to answer a few questions. It would be really nice to have a few specifics on Sakura's shielding. I'm sure Yue knows more than he told me five years ago._

Syaoran hurried along, slinking from shadow to shadow, eager to wring some answers out of Yue, if indeed that was who it was moving around up ahead. The front gates of Tomoyo's house came into view, and soon Syaoran was within aural range. There was a vigorous rustling coming from the shrubbery around the corner from the front gates. Then the sound stopped. 

_Well, here goes,_ thought Syaoran as he materialized his sword and readied himself. He didn't want to be caught unawares in case it wasn't Yue or Touya, in case it was something else entirely. Something much less benign. 

The bushes rustled once more and a slight figure came darting out from behind them and barreled around the corner, ploughing into Syaoran and knocking the both of them to the ground. Syaoran hit the sidewalk hard, shoulder-first, and his assailant landed next to him. "Ow," he said weakly, pushing himself upright so he could get a better look at whoever had collided with him. 

She was already staring at him, her eyes wide with wonder. 

"Sakura?!" Syaoran managed to choke out. 

"Syaoran!" she practically screamed, launching herself into his arms, burying her face against his shoulder. "I'm so glad I found you!" 

Syaoran froze when she first touched him, shocked beyond belief. He was far too surprised to speak. 

"I'm so scared," Sakura continued, her hands clutching at the front of Syaoran's shirt. "I can't find anyone. I can't find Kero-chan, or Yue or Yukito or Touya or anyone! You've got to help me, Syaoran. Please! I can't find the Cards or even my Key. Something's wrong, I just know it!" And she began to sob, her thin shoulders shaking. 

Syaoran was bewildered. _What the hell's going on here?! She suddenly remembers the Clow and everything? I don't understand. Her shield's are still in place . . ._ He reached out with a tendril of power to prod at the barrier that held back Sakura's memories and magic. But the shield felt . . . strange, somehow. Thin. Weak. 

Sakura continued to cry, her tears soaking through Syaoran's t-shirt. He allowed himself the luxury of putting his arms around her and stroking her hair. It was something he'd daydreamed about for years. 

"Something's coming, Syaoran," Sakura continued, her voce subdued, muffled against his chest. "I can _feel_ it coming. And I can't do anything to stop it without the Clow Cards! It's something horrible. I just know it. I can _feel_ it . . ." she repeated. 

Syaoran pulled back enough to look Sakura in the face. He noted her wide, vacant eyes, and the unfamiliarly frantic expression on her tear-stained face. There was also something strange about her speech patterns. Her words were those of a frightened little girl. _She's sleepwalking_, he realized suddenly. _When she's asleep, then Kerberos and Yue's shield is weakened and her subconscious memories return to the surface._

Yet it seemed to be more than merely a lapse in her shielding. Sakura was practically glowing she had so much magical power running through her, but it didn't really feel like the magic of Clow. It was something . . . different. Not any less powerful, and certainly not more, it was something he'd never encountered before in his extensive, though admittedly brief experience with magic. 

Sakura slumped back against him, shivering in the pajamas Tomoyo had loaned her. "Could you take me home, Syaoran?" she finally asked, tilting her face up to look him in the eyes. "I want to go home." Her voice was soft, and more child-like than ever. When faced with her pleading eyes and beseeching words, Syaoran didn't have a chance. 

"Sure," he responded. "Whatever you want, Sa -- uh, Kinomoto." He didn't know how much she actually remembered at the moment, and he didn't want to confuse her by being overly familiar. Instead he scooped her up into his arms and took off down the street toward her house. He'd call Tomoyo when he got home to tell her where Sakura had gotten to. He didn't want Tomoyo to worry about Sakura's sudden disappearance. 

Sakura snuggled her head down against his chest, hiding her face against his neck. To Syaoran's complete surprise, she began to doze off, despite the bumpy ride. Syaoran was trying to run as smoothly as possible, but it was difficult since, while certainly not overweight, Sakura _was_ rather heavy to carry. The trip to the Kinomoto residence was the longest four blocks he'd ever run. 

There was no sign of Touya's motorcycle outside Sakura's house, which gave Syaoran cause for relief. He didn't think he could deal with a confrontation with Touya tonight. Since he'd heard that her father was out of town for a conference, Syaoran decided not to bother trying to sneak Sakura in through her window. He simply unlocked the front door with the key hidden under the doormat, and stepped inside. 

It had been years since Syaoran had actually been _inside_ the Kinomoto home, since there really hadn't been any reason for him to be there while Sakura's memories were sealed. The house was much as he remembered it. As he passed by the kitchen, he absently noticed the photograph of Sakura's mother in a delicate, silver filigree frame on the table. 

Syaoran hauled Sakura the rest of the way upstairs then began to look for her room. It took him a little while to find her bedroom, since even before Sakura's sealing, he'd never been upstairs. After trying two doors on the hallway (one leading to a study full of dark wood and leather upholstery, one leading to a utility closet) he found a room tastefully decorated in an array of pale, gentle colors, predominately pink. _Gotta be Sakura's room_, he though wryly. 

The small, pink-lacquered sign labeled 'Sakura' that was hanging outside the door was also a dead give-away. 

Sakura was still dozing when he lay her down on her bed. But she wasn't fully asleep. She mumbled something unintelligible and opened her eyes a little, watching Syaoran as he tucked her into bed, pulling her sheets and comforter up to her chin. Syaoran paused and smiled at her. "Goodnight," he whispered before turning back towards her door. 

He was promptly halted when Sakura slid a hand out from under her blankets and grabbed the back of Syaoran's shirt. "Wait," she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. "I wanted to say thank you." Sakura tugged insistently on Syaoran's shirt, pulling him inexorably back towards her bedside. 

"Y-you're w-w-welcome," Syaoran stammered out. 

"I also wanted to say that . . ." Sakura pulled him yet closer and then grabbed his hand in hers. "I've missed you, Syaoran." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and then closed her eyes. 

Syaoran stared at her for a long moment, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Finally he sighed. _I've missed you too, Sakura_, he replied silently, returning the hand-squeeze before carefully detaching her hand from his. She didn't stir at all, and her breathing was slow and even. _She's already asleep,_ he realized, a little surprised. 

_I guess it shouldn't be surprising, though. Not only was she attacked by a _gaki_ today, but she's been sleepwalking all over Tomoeda in the middle of the night. She has a right to be exhausted._ He briefly contemplated sitting in her desk chair for a while, to make sure she didn't try sleepwalking again, but decided that he was being too paranoid. 

Once again he turned towards the door and headed out. 

Once again, something made him stop. 

Sakura's desk drawer rattled suddenly, loudly. Syaoran glanced over his shoulder and was understandably startled to see the drawer illuminated by a warm, golden glow, emanating from the narrow opening. Before his eyes, the drawer slid haltingly open, jerking occasionally. Finally, when the drawer was completely open and the glow was almost blinding, a thick, rectangular form drifted ponderously upwards and out of the drawer. It was the Book of Clow. 

"Holy . . ." Syaoran began. 

He didn't get to finish the exclamation. The book began to pulse, waves of brassy light pouring from it. The embossed cover, representing Kerberos, Guardian of the Seal, trembled, then began to pulse in time with the rest of the book. Then the golden relief of Kerberos began to _expand_, then push outward from the cover. The light flashed, and Syaoran was forced to avert his eyes. 

When the light faded to a tolerable level, Syaoran opened his eyes to find Kerberos, or rather 'Kero-chan,' hovering in midair in front of the Book. The tiny creature stretched luxuriously, arching his back, as though stiff with disuse. Kero blinked his black eyes and fixed them upon Syaoran. Behind him, the golden light surrounding the Book of Clow flickered out, and the Book itself finally dropped to the floor with a loud thud. 

Syaoran stared at Kero. 

Kero stared at Syaoran. 

Sakura continued to sleep. 

"You?!" cried both Syaoran and Kero-chan in unison. 

"Shhhh!" added Syaoran in a loud whisper, gesturing frantically towards the soundly sleeping Sakura. "Don't wake her up, you moron!" 

Kero bristled, his short fur standing up on end. He looked indignant. "Hey, you were at least as loud as I was, brat," he returned. "And anyway, what're you doin' in Sakura's _bedroom_?!" 

Syaoran blushed, despite his anger and glared at the Seal Beast. He was tempted to just tell the little pest that it was none of his damn business, but he was rather curious as to why Kero was leaving his self-imposed dormancy _now_, of all times. So Syaoran held back his rapidly shortening temper and explained the situation. He half-expected Kero to explode after hearing about the latest _gaki_ attack, but Kero was uncharacteristically quiet and solemn. Syaoran wondered what was going through the creature's fluffy little head. 

The Chinese boy had never been quite sure how much Kero could sense of the real world while he was hiding within the Book of Clow. Kero had decided to re-enter the Book shortly after he helped seal away Sakura's powers and memories. He really had tried, for a couple weeks, to play the part of a stuffed animal in Sakura's room, since he could watch her and make sure she was safe, yet avoid detection. It probably wouldn't have been good if Sakura found a talking toy in her room. 

Unfortunately, remaining perfectly still when Sakura was around had proved more difficult than Kero had initially thought. Not only did he have to pretend to be made of velveteen and stuffing, he also had to sit mutely by when Sakura brought snacks up to her room. It had taken all of his willpower to keep from lunging at the chocolate cake she'd brought one time. The final straw, however, had come when Sakura had set Kero on the bed and then accidentally sat on him. And of course, Kero couldn't even _move_ to try and squeeze out from under Sakura, so he'd remained there, squashed, for a full hour. Confinement in the Book of Clow had been very inviting at that point. 

Syaoran already knew all of this, of course. Kero had already explained his motives, to a certain extent. Once Sakura was essentially out of the picture, Kero hadn't had anyone to advise, boss, or generally bully into doing things the way _he_ wanted, hadn't had anyone to keep him company anymore. Yue was absent, and Tomoyo was generally out of reach, as well. So Kero had kept in close contact with the Brat during the days following that fateful night in the park, ostensibly to keep him informed on Sakura's condition. Their relationship had been rather mutually antagonistic, since they were certainly reluctant partners in the situation, but their exchanges of insults had suited Kero just fine. At least he had someone to talk to. But finally he had realized that there was really no good reason for him to be hanging around while Sakura was sealed. His presence, even in his false form, was simply an invitation for trouble. 

It had been child's play to seal himself back up into the book. The magical seals were already in place, he had only to re-activate them. He'd even cast a minor _glamourie_ on the Book itself to avoid detection. It was a simple, but effective spell that sort of _suggested_ to anyone nearby that the Book wasn't there. The Book of Clow had sat in Sakura's desk drawer for the past five years and she had yet to take note of it. 

Besides, Syaoran could quite easily handle any trouble that came up while Kero was sleeping in the Book. And from the boy's description now, as Kero hovered next to Sakura's sleeping form, it sounded like Syaoran had done an admirable job keeping Sakura safe and sealed over the past five years. 

"Looks like you haven't messed things up _too_ badly," Kero grudgingly admitted, once Syaoran was finished with his summary of the last five years. 

Syaoran continued to glare at Kero. "So how come you've decided to wake up now, little stuffed toy?" he asked, emphasizing 'toy' in an attempt to irritate Kero further. 

Kero bristled somewhat, but otherwise refused to rise to the bait. "When I went dormant in the Book, I set the spell to expire when there were significant changes in Sakura's seal. It looks like something's happenin' to her, magic-wise at least." 

"But there's something else going on," Syaoran insisted, frowning slightly. "She's putting out way too much energy. The shields can't account for it all. It doesn't even feel like Clow, actually." He sighed and rubbed his temples. He could feel a headache coming on. "Whatever's happening to her seems to be drawing all these _gakis_ as well." 

Lowering himself over Sakura until he floated inches above her face, Kero closed his eyes in concentration, tiny lines appearing between his brows. Eyes still closed, Kero sighed and said, "I don't know what's goin' on. There's another layer of shields on her now, not just Yue's and my seal. She may be unconsciously generating it herself, though it feels suspiciously like her brother's work." 

"Touya?" Syaoran was surprised. "You mean he's somehow gotten his power back?" 

Kero shrugged slightly and drifted back towards where Syaoran was standing. "I don't know if he has or not. I don't even know if he's responsible for those new shields on Sakura. Whatever else is happenin', all that really matters is that Sakura is shielded doubly, and it'll be real hard for me to keep track of her now, since Clow's magic is so hazy and muddled." 

"So I'll have to watch her even more carefully now," finished Syaoran, his expression grim. 

With a brief nod, Kero dipped down to the floor and picked up the Book of Clow in his paws. "You got it, kid. Right now our dear Sakura-chan is a four-course meal for all those _gaki _that keep showin' up. And soon, she'll start attracting more dangerous stuff." At Syaoran's surprised look, he nodded and continued. "Yep, there are worse things than _gakis_ out there. I've heard of all sorts of nasty aura-monsters and _ki_-thieves." 

Syaoran looked glum, and Kero felt a little bad about it. "Hey, don't worry too much," The Clow Guardian said as he hauled the Book into the air and deposited it back in the desk drawer. "The seal on Sakura is definitely weakening, which means she's beginning to come into her power, which means she should be back to normal soon." 

"How long?" Syaoran asked bluntly. 

"A few days, maybe." Kero shrugged and flew over to Sakura's bed, where he settled daintily on her pillow. "It's hard to tell." He curled up next to Sakura's head on her pillow. "You oughta go home and sleep, kid. I can keep an eye on Sakura. I think I can handle bein' a stuffed toy again for a few days." 

Syaoran didn't have anything to counter his suggestion, so he merely nodded. "Yeah, sure thing. I'll see you later, plushie." 

Kero muttered something highly unflattering, but Syaoran was already safely out the door and out of earshot. 

Syaoran left the house and locked the door behind him once more. Then he began the walk home. He'd have to call Tomoyo once he got home. It was the middle of the night, but it would be much worse if he waited until morning only to find out that Tomoyo was awake and had already missed Sakura. He winced. Tomoyo was a mild-mannered, polite sort of girl, but whenever Sakura was threatened, she could be . . . a little scary. 

The walk back to his apartment was much more relaxed than his departure had been, and he was tired enough that he didn't think he'd have any difficulty falling asleep once he got home. His nervous energy had dissipated completely and he was utterly exhausted. 

His mind was still awhirl, though. 

Part of him was elated. Sakura was almost ready to break through the seal that had held her memories back for five years. She'd remember everything. She'd remember him. Or more significantly, she'd remember them _together_. 

The other part of him, the more realistic part, was terrified. His discussion with Kero had made him realize just how dangerous the next few days would be for Sakura. Aura-monsters and ki-thieves, he'd said. _Gakis_ were one thing, but Kero-chan's monsters were something else entirely. He only hoped that he'd have as much success as he'd enjoyed over the past few years. 

Yes, things were definitely going to get worse before they got better.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Author's Post-It-Note:   
  


Yay! Chapter 2 is done! Only six more sections to write! *sweatdrops* 

Anyway, this chapter is basically once big, extended action sequence, and unfortunately, I'm not really very confident in my ability to write action sequences. I'm normally better with conversations full of witty retorts. But I'm hoping that this isn't as incoherent as it seemed when I was writing it. Most of this chapter was written late at night, since that was about the only time I had to spare, what with work and class and all. I think it shows, but I did try and go through to clear up the _really_ weird-sounding parts. Hmm, I ought to write up an outtakes omake section sometime. It would be really amusing . . .   
  


Anyhow, there are a few unusual terms that I've used in this fic, so I'll be pompous and define a few of them as I used them. Most people familiar with anime fanfiction and fantasy fiction probably will think my definitions are silly:   
  


_Bento box_ -- These are the lovely little boxes (traditionally dark-lacquered wood) that Japanese students pack their lunches into. They've got little compartments for different dishes, and a lid that fits snugly on top. I want one. ^_^   
  


_Ki_ -- I think I mentioned this vaguely at one point. Ki's just a word to describe, well, life energy. It flows through all living creatures. Therefore, a ki-thief type of monster would suck out all of someone's ki and leave them a drained husk. Sounds fun, doesn't it?   
  


_Glamourie _-- I'm never quite sure how to spell this one. This is a term I've borrowed from Western magic, but I assume there's an Eastern equivalent. Glamouries are generally basic spells that work much like illusions. Often they're used to change the appearance of the caster, or at least change the way they are seen by others. I've always liked the word 'cause it sounds nifty.   
  


_Ofuda_ -- These are those little slips of paper with characters on them that Li-kun plays with sometimes. As far as I can tell, he uses them to focus and direct his power. The words printed on the paper don't really have power on their own, but people often need physical objects to direct the output of their magic. Ofudas show up quite frequently in anime, since they're more often used as wards, often to keep out ghosts, demons, _onis_, and the like.   
  


_Gaki_ -- These are creatures straight out of Japanese mythology, though I've taken a few liberties with their specific characteristics. _Gakis_ are one of the more common types of Japanese ghosts or spirits, though the word's also translated as 'demon' a lot. From what I could find, it looks like the most notable characteristic of a _gaki_ is its hunger. Different types of _gakis_ can be hungry for different things (anything from incense to human flesh), but hunger seems to be the uniting characteristic. I decided to create _gakis_ that hunger for magical power. And if anyone in the Tomoeda region (probably the whole of Japan, as well) practically _oozes_ magical power, it's Kinomoto Sakura, even if she's shielded.   
  
  
  



	4. Interlude: Tomoyo

**Nadesico's Daughter:**

**.:Interlude: Tomoyo:.**

**A Card-Captor Sakura Fanfiction by Kit Spooner**   
  
  
  
  
  


Breakfast at my house was generally a formal affair. It wasn't necessarily a traditional breakfast, but Mother and I met every morning to enact the ritual of eating together. Mother always said it was the civilized thing to do. 

Recently, Mother had taken a shine to English-style breakfasts, so I was unsurprised to be faced with a plate of fried eggs, fried ham, and fried potato wedges. A wicker basket of steaming crumpets sat between Mother's seat and mine, along with a generous pot of tea. _Earl Grey_, I guessed. I wasn't particularly fond of English breakfasts, though I did enjoy the tea varieties. I found I missed the time when Mother had hired the French pastry chef to create mouth-watering delicacies for breakfast. 

Mother was already seated when I came downstairs, her full attention on the thick sheaf of papers she was reading through. I'd had a late night, and hadn't awoken as early as usual. I was still sleepy, and I think it probably showed. If Mother noticed, however, she made no comment on the fact. "Good morning, Tomoyo-chan," she murmured over the rim of her delicate porcelain teacup. 

Mother was using the tea service she'd bought in Denmark nearly twenty years ago. It was a pale, translucent white, with a dainty tracery of flowers and leaves around the rims. They were glorious, sunrise-pink dianthus flowers, Nadesico's flowers. I wondered if the selection of the tea set this morning meant something. 

"Good morning, Mother," I replied, a little distracted. 

"Sit down," Mother said. "I'll pour you a cup of tea." The spout of the beautiful teapot clinked softly against the rim of the fresh teacup she'd found. "British style?" I nodded and watched my mother add a generous dollop of cream to my cup, along with a teaspoonful of sugar. She set the cup and saucer in front of me and went back to her reading. I think it was part of the quarterly earnings report for the company. I wasn't curious enough to ask, so I turned my attention to breakfast. 

My eggs, ham and potatoes were still steaming faintly, but the aroma was strong enough to turn my stomach. English breakfasts are perhaps not the best thing to awake to after scrubbing one's room clean of _gaki_ goo all night. Instead of working on the fried food, I helped myself to a crumpet and slathered it with butter. Even if we'd lost the French pastry chef to a newly opened restaurant, our current chef was a whiz with crumpets. Perhaps that accounted for Mother's recent fascination with English cuisine. 

I nibbled at the buttery crumpet, which melted deliciously in my mouth, alternating bites with sips of my tea. I was glad Mother didn't use the Danish tea service very often. The pieces were so fine, so delicate that I was always afraid that they would crumble in my hands. The porcelain was to thin that it was translucent around the edges of the cups. Yet as far as I knew, no one had broken a single piece of the tea set, despite it's occasional use and misuse. Perhaps the porcelain was stronger than it looked. 

I was suddenly reminded of a conversation I'd had with Sakura a few days earlier, when we'd gone shopping at one of the higher class boutiques in town. We never actually bought anything there, but it was always fun to try on the expensive, sophisticated gowns and pretend we were truly adults, and not the giggling teenagers we really were. Sakura had cajoled me into trying on a rather daring creation of wine-colored silk with subtle, jet beadwork along the hems. 

"You're so beautiful, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura had exclaimed, her face lit with delight. 

"As are you, Sakura-chan," I'd replied with that gentle smile I always saved for Sakura. And indeed, Sakura had been stunning in her filmy layers of midnight blue chiffon. 

Sakura had blushed, as she always did when complimented. "But I'm not like you," she'd explained. "You're so slim and delicate, like a flower. Sometimes you look so very fragile, as though a good breeze would knock you over . . . " 

We'd both laughed at Sakura's silliness, but now I remembered her words. _Delicate. Fragile._ My mirror upstairs agreed with Sakura's estimation of my body. _But maybe I'm like the nadesico tea service,_ I thought inanely, _Perhaps I'm stronger than I look._

"Did Sakura-chan leave already?" Mother suddenly asked, breaking into my idle musings. 

"She left last night," I replied, not quite lying. "Li-kun brought her over when she fainted after cheerleading practice, but later on she was feeling better, so she went home." 

"Ah," my mother said, giving me a penetrating glance. "I see." And she obviously did see. 

I winced inwardly and buttered another crumpet. Mother always seems to know when I'm stretching the truth, or sidestepping the truth entirely, particularly when it has something to do with Sakura-chan and her family. For someone who still holds such a grudge against the man who married her beloved cousin, Mother certainly does keep a close watch on Fujitaka Kinomoto and his offspring. To this day, I don't know if she watches over them out of love, or out of duty. 

It really could be either possibility. Her love is obvious, as obvious as mine is, though her duty is less so, buried in the family vaults. When she was young, my mother had refused to carry on the line of Amamiya priestesses. Sonomi Amamiya had better things to do than rot away in some temple. So she had gone to school, had thrown herself into her studies. This might have caused more of an uproar among the Amamiya elders had not sweet, young Nadesico been an even more qualified candidate for the family legacy. 

I still have trouble reconciling the different pictures of Sakura's mother that my mother paints. Sometimes Nadesico is the flighty creature who caught Fujitaka Kinomoto with her ethereal beauty, and held him with her innocently beguiling ways. But sometimes Nadesico is the half-wild child that my mother grew up with, the girl who ran unfettered and barefoot through the forests, the girl who fairly worshiped her grandmother, the powerful matriarch of the Amamiya family. 

But as so often happens, things went awry. Nadesico never finished her studies, never even finished high school. Instead, she met an older man, who quickly earned her love and the enmity of her family. By the time Nadesico was truly gone, it was too late for Sonomi to take over as the Amamiya heir, even had she changed her mind and agreed to it. Mother didn't like to talk about it much, but I'd wheedled the story out of my great-grandfather once. 

I knew that Mother's failure to carry on the family tradition was a sore point for her. She felt she had disappointed her family, maybe Nadesico, in particular. I know that _I_ was a bit of a disappointment for Mother. Perhaps Mother thought that if she herself couldn't carry on the family legacy herself, then perhaps her daughter could. The Amamiya blood is strong; it flows pure and true in most female descendants. But not me. Nadesico was chosen to become an Amamiya priestess, her husband was the reincarnation of a ridiculously powerful sorcerer, her son was a gifted psychic, and her daughter was the destined successor to the sorcerer's power. Sonomi's daughter was . . . a photographer, a fashion designer. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm deaf, and all of my friends and family are musicians, or at the very least, lovers of music. I can't appreciate it. I don't even understand it. 

Mother seemed to notice that I was drifting off, and began to question me about my upcoming day. I told her that I was taking a text book over to Sakura's house after breakfast; she'd left it here last night, I explained. Mother gave me another of her half-believing smiles and simply nodded. "Tell dear Sakura-chan that I said hello." 

"Yes, Mother," I replied as I drained the last of my tea and wiped the corners of my mouth with my napkin. 

Mother paused, her eyes growing distant. Her facial expression was one I normally associated with thoughts of Nadesico. I briefly wondered what it would be like to lose the one I love the most, as my mother had. "How is Sakura-chan doing these days? She hasn't come over recently." 

"We've both been busy," I temporized. I couldn't very well tell my mother about Sakura's shields. 

"Hmm," said my mother absently, her eyes still focused on something else. 

I stood and politely excused myself.   
  


* * *

  
It was only a few blocks walk to Sakura's house, and the weather was pleasant. It turned out to be a lovely walk, despite the uncomfortable weight of the textbook in the bag slung over my shoulder. I probably should have carried it in my school bag, since the satchel was bumping against my hip with every step. Sakura's clothes from the night before, carefully cleaned and folded, cushioned the impact of the heavy textbook somewhat. 

When I rang the doorbell, there was silence within. It took Sakura several minutes to make it down to the door. When she finally appeared, she was still looking sleep-rumpled in the pajamas I had loaned her the previous night. "Tomoyo-chan?" she asked blearily, rubbing her eyes. 

"Good morning, Sakura-chan," I said cheerily, giving her the smile she was used to. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just returning your clothes and your math book. You left them at my house last night." 

Sakura still didn't look terribly awake, so I led her back into the house and up to her room. "I'll explain it to you over breakfast," I told her before leaving her to change out of my pajamas. 

I went back downstairs to search for food for Sakura. I was reluctant to make a mess of the kitchen simply to make one breakfast. _I should have brought over some of the crumpets_, I thought. Fortunately, in the refrigerator I found a neat row of covered boxes, left by Sakura's father, each carefully labeled. _What a thoughtful father,_ I thought as I pulled out the one labeled 'Sakura-san's Saturday Breakfast.' 

Sakura was a little more alert by the time she came downstairs. I watched her eat her breakfast, noting the unusual pallor of her face, the slight hollows of her cheeks, the way her eyes seemed huge and dark. "You look tired, Sakura-chan," I commented once she'd polished off the last of her rice. 

Instead of denying my accusation, she merely sighed. "I am tired," Sakura admitted. Then her lips curled into a tiny frown. "Or rather, part of me is tired, very tired, but part of me feels . . . oh, I don't know, energized, maybe. I don't know what it is." She rested her chin on her propped up fist. "Maybe it's a vitamin deficiency or something." 

"You could be right," I lied. "Perhaps you should go to the pharmacy later today and buy some vitamins." Inwardly, I was worried. I wanted to ask Syaoran about what was happening to Sakura, but I suspected he didn't know. And asking him would only worry him even more. As it was, he was running himself nearly ragged dispatching _gaki_. 

Sakura nodded vaguely and took her breakfast dishes over to the sink to clean them. 

"You seemed energetic enough at lunch yesterday, though," I told her with a sly, secretive smile that I knew she found maddening. 

Sakura looked at me blankly for a moment, trying to figure out what I was talking about. Then I could see the realization hit her. She blushed prettily. "Tomoyo-chan!" she exclaimed. 

"You certainly charmed Li-kun," I commented blandly, watching Sakura's response. Her cheeks flamed and she began to babble denials. I hid my satisfied smile. 

Sakura was able to regain control of her mouth enough to breathlessly ask me, "So you think he likes me?" 

I laughed outright this time. The question was ludicrous. "Of course he likes you, Sakura-chan!" I told her. "Why wouldn't he?" 

Sakura looked so embarrassed that I decided to stop teasing her for a while. It was truly amazing the way she'd suddenly become aware of Syaoran's presence. She'd been watching the boy for the past few days, but in the last 24 hours or so she'd seemed particularly fascinated by him. I knew, without any occult knowledge or magical power, that Sakura's shields were beginning to fade. 

All at once, I felt a sudden pang of jealousy. When Sakura regained her memories, she would remember her interrupted relationship with Li Syaoran. She would remember that she loved him. And as for me . . . well, I would let her go . . . 

I've always felt that these past five years have been something of a gift to me. I've had five more years of Sakura, all to myself. Syaoran has had to wait for his turn. Now, as the time approached, I found it was difficult to comprehend letting her go again, but I knew I would do it. I had to. She loved Syaoran. And I loved her enough to let her love him. 

"I brought over your math book and you clothes," I said, changing the subject. "You left them at my house last night." 

"Last night?" Sakura looked vaguely confused. 

"I don't know how much you remember," I explained gently. "But you came over after cheerleading practice, and fainted practically on my doorstep. So I brought you inside, loaned you some pajamas, and let you rest. Later on, you were feeling a little better, so I walked you home, but you forgot your clothes. And your book." I set my satchel, heavy with the textbook and lumpy with the clothing, on the tabletop. 

"Oh," said Sakura, her eyes still not quite comprehending. "I see. Thank you, Tomoyo-chan." Her face was a little pale, and I wondered if she was dealing with something more troublesome than mere confusion. 

"Are you sure you're all right, Sakura-chan?" I asked her, unable to keep the concern from my voice. 

Sakura hastened to assure me. "I'm fine, really!" she said, trying to smile. "I just feel very strange this morning. Maybe it's an after-affect of the fainting last night." 

I sighed. "If you say you're all right, then I believe you," I told her, though I know she could tell that I _didn't _believe her. "You should still take it easy this afternoon, though." 

Sakura nodded quickly. "I will, Tomoyo-chan. Nii-chan and Yukito-san are coming over for lunch in a bit, but after that I can rest. Maybe I can take a nap or something . . ." 

"That's probably a good idea." I rose from my chair. "I should probably go," I told her. "I still have some homework to finish." 

Sakura stood and saw me out to the door. "Maybe we can do something together this evening, ne, Tomoyo-chan?" 

"If you're feeling better, that would be nice." I found I couldn't quite refuse the temptation to spend a little more time with her before her memories returned. I slipped my shoes back on and opened the door. "Goodbye, Sakura-chan!" 

"Goodbye, Tomoyo-chan!" she returned, closing the door after me. 

As I headed down the walkway to the gate, I saw a car pull up into the driveway. It looked familiar, but it wasn't until Touya and Yukito stepped out of it that I realized it was the car they had bought a few weeks earlier. "Good morning, Tomoyo-san," Yukito called, waving cheerily. Touya gave me a brief nod of greeting. 

I smiled and walked toward them. "Good morning," I replied. "I just stopped off to return a few things to Sakura-chan." 

"You're not staying for lunch?" Touya asked. He looked a bit distracted, but not enough to keep him from being polite. 

"I have work to do at home," I told him. 

Yukito suddenly made a strange sort of sighing noise and I glanced over at him. He had the most unusual look in his eyes that I'd ever seen, as though he were looking at something far off. Was that a glint of moon-shot silver I saw? He shook himself from his reverie and smiled down at me. "Well, perhaps we'll see you later, Tomoyo-san," he said, his eyes still strangely unfocused. 

Touya led Yukito up towards the house, and I let myself out through the gate, but I found myself still distracted by the strangeness in Yukito's stare. I knew it was probably another side-effect of Sakura's shielding. Yet Touya seemed a little distant as well, as though deep in thought. I shivered as I walked briskly down the street. For the thousandth time I wished I had inherited the Amamiya gifts, wished I could help Sakura. 

As it was, I could only wait.   
  


* * *

  
Notes:   
  


Hmm, that was shorter than I originally intended, but I got through all the points I needed to. Ah, well. It's still got a few rough spots, but overall I'm fairly pleased. I particularly like the breakfast scene with Sonomi. I found that Tomoyo's thought processes are scarily similar to my own, or at least they ended up that way. I've always seen Tomoyo as a bright girl, who isn't quite as meek as she acts all the time. She's devious, and manipulates those around her, but it's never with ill-intent. She truly loves Sakura, and is probably jealous of Syaoran, but does recognize their bond. Poor Tomoyo-chan! Anyhow, I hope this chapter answered a few questions, and brought up a few more (particularly about the whole Amamiya family thingie). All will be explained soon! I swear! 


End file.
